WSML explained

WSML
City:Graham, North Carolina
Country:US
Area:Piedmont Triad
Branding:Maverick 95.1★94.3
Frequency:1200 kHz
Format:Country music
Class:B
Licensing Authority:FCC
Facility Id:740
Former Frequencies:1190 kHz (1967–1991)
Affiliations:Compass Media Networks
Owner:Charles and Rebecca Marsh
Licensee:Alamance Media Partners, Inc.

WSML (1200 AM) is a radio station located in Graham, North Carolina. The station airs a country music format branded as Maverick 95.1-94.3.

History

WSML signed on December 2, 1967,[1] as a daytimer operating at 1190 AM, owned by Smiles of Graham, Inc.[2] In its early years, the station had a top 40 format, but by 1970 it had become a country music station.[2] This gave way to a rock music format by 1973,[3] and a blend of country and rock soon thereafter.[4] By 1975, WSML had integrated beautiful music into the format and cut back its country music programming;[5] however, after a sale of the station to Acme Communications (no relation to the current television station owner) in 1976, it reverted to a full-time country music format.[6] [7] [8]

In 1981, the station was sold to Graycasting, Inc.[9] and became WWOK;[10] a year later, Evans Communications Corporation took over the station[11] and reinstated the WSML call sign.[10] By this time, the station had added religious programming to its country music format;[11] religion had become its full-time format by 1987, after having been acquired by Gray Broadcasting Company (unrelated to Gray Television) two years earlier.[12] WSML moved to 1200 AM in 1991, allowing the station to begin 24-hour operation.[13] [14] [15] [16] By the 1990s, programming consisted of gospel music.

What had become Graycasting Media sold WSML to Clear Channel Communications in 1998.[17] Clear Channel converted the station to a news/talk format, largely simulcasting sister station WSJS from Winston-Salem; this filled in a gap in WSJS' coverage of Greensboro and the eastern part of the Piedmont Triad (especially at night). There was some separate programming — predominantly NC State Wolfpack sports and Sunday morning programming.

After Clear Channel was forced to divest some of its stations in order to merge with AMFM Broadcasting, WSML and WSJS were sold in 2000 to Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, which also purchased WMFR from AMFM.[18] CBS Radio (which Infinity became in 2005), in turn, sold the three stations to Curtis Media Group in 2007.[19] Curtis dropped the WSJS simulcast from WSML on July 15, 2010, replacing it with sports radio programming.[20]

Effective February 11, 2019, Curtis Media Group sold WSML and translators W232DT and W236BQ to Alamance Media Partners, Inc. for $397,500.

References

  1. Book: Broadcasting/Cable Yearbook 1989. 1989. B-214. July 19, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110409143955/http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1989/B-2%20Radio%20Neb%20to%20Terr%201989-5.pdf. April 9, 2011. dead.
  2. Book: Broadcasting Yearbook 1971. 1971. B-130. July 19, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101008150638/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1971/B%202%20Radio%20YB%201971.pdf. October 8, 2010. dead. mdy-all.
  3. Book: Broadcasting Yearbook 1974. 1974. B-151. July 19, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101008152800/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1974/B%202%201974%20YB.pdf. October 8, 2010. dead. mdy-all.
  4. Book: Broadcasting Yearbook 1975. 1975. C-136. July 19, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101008161835/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1975/C%202%201975%20Radio.pdf. October 8, 2010. dead.
  5. Book: Broadcasting Yearbook 1976. 1976. C-143. July 19, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101008170609/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1976/C-2%20%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201976.pdf. October 8, 2010. dead. mdy-all.
  6. Book: Broadcasting Yearbook 1977. 1977. C-151. July 19, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101008175325/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1977/C-2%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201977.pdf. October 8, 2010. dead. mdy-all.
  7. Book: Broadcasting Yearbook 1978. 1978. C-157. July 19, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20120309112315/http://www.davidgleason.com/Broadcasting%201978%20Yearbook/C%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201978%20Full-5.pdf. March 9, 2012. dead.
  8. Book: Broadcasting Yearbook 1979. 1979. C-159. July 19, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110409234634/http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1979/C-2%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201979-12.pdf. April 9, 2011. dead. mdy-all.
  9. Web site: Application Search Details (1). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. July 19, 2010.
  10. Web site: Call Sign History. CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. July 19, 2010.
  11. Book: Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983. 1983. B-178. July 19, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100928184132/http://davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1983/B%20Radio%20Neb-Terr%201983%20YB%20No%20Cover-4.pdf. September 28, 2010. dead. mdy-all.
  12. Book: Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1988. 1988. B-203. July 19, 2010.
  13. Web site: Application Search Details (2). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. July 19, 2010.
  14. Web site: Application Search Details (3). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. July 19, 2010.
  15. Web site: Application Search Details (4). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. July 19, 2010.
  16. Web site: Application Search Details (5). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. July 19, 2010.
  17. News: Brown. Saa. RADIO: AM.(radio station transactions). https://web.archive.org/web/20121104093232/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20790705.html. dead. November 4, 2012. July 19, 2010. Broadcasting & Cable. June 1, 1998. subscription .
  18. News: Spun cities. July 19, 2010. Broadcasting & Cable. April 16, 2000.
  19. News: Curtis completes deal to buy three Triad radio stations. July 19, 2010. The Business Journal. February 16, 2007.
  20. News: Curtis Forms Triad Sports Network. July 19, 2010. Radio Ink. July 14, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20120227043120/http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=1875838&spid=24698. February 27, 2012. dead. mdy-all.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "WSML".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.